1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a heat sink that encompasses a speaker magnet structure in order to dissipate heat energy into the surrounding air.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern day vehicle audio systems incorporate amplifiers (usually positioned in the trunk of the vehicle) that typically produce in excess of 1000 watts RMS (or continuous) power which, when applied to a voice coil of a woofer, or speaker, produces large amounts of heat. This heat is capable of melting the voice coil wire if the heat is not extracted and dissipated. In addition, the initial ambient temperature of the speaker""s motor structure in the trunk of a dark colored vehicle, when the outside temperature is in excess of 100xc2x0 F., may exceed 160xc2x0 F., another factor that can damage the speaker.
Conventional speakers utilize the dense composite ferrite material of the magnet structure and the steel top plate and T-Yoke of the speaker to dissipate the generated heat. However, the heat dissipation occurs at a relatively slow rate.
What is desired is to provide a structure adapted for use with vehicle speakers that increases the dissipation rate of the heat generated by the speaker amplifiers.
The present invention provides a heat sink for dissipating the heat generated by the voice coil incorporated in a vehicle audio speaker. The shield comprises a multi-piece, aluminum based structure bolted together and which encompasses the speaker motor structure. In a first embodiment, the heat segment comprises a plurality of spaced apart and separate, concentric disk shaped aluminum ring members formed in segments, each segment being fastened together. In a second embodiment, the heat sink comprises a plurality of concentric disk shaped aluminum ring members formed in segments, each segment being fastened together. In each embodiment, the assembled heat sink is positioned over the speaker motor structure.
The heat sink of the present invention extracts excess energy from the speaker motor structure and dissipates that energy in the form of heat into the surrounding air. This enables the speaker voice coil to perform within the normal/safe operating temperature and allows for greater power handling capabilities. The heat sink also increases the mechanical strength of the motor structure, increasing speaker life and ensures that the motor structure will not deform or shift maintaining the motor structure components in alignment.